Because the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was directly responsible for permanent settlement of European settlers in Cache Valley, it may not be a surprise to know that there were organized congregations very early in the valley.

On November 14th 1859 William B. Preston was called to be the first LDS bishop in Logan. He served until April 14th 1861 when growth in Logan demanded that the one ward be subdivided into four wards with bishops called for each: Benjamin Lewis (1st Ward), Henry Ballard (2nd Ward), John B. Thatcher (3rd Ward), and Thomas X. Smith (4th Ward). Each of these wards continue to be integral in the religious and cultural makeup of our city to this day.

This year marks the twentieth anniversary of the loss of Andrew Jeffrey "A.J" Simmonds, prominent Cache Valley historian. For 28 years, Simmonds served as the curator of archives and special collections at Utah State University's Merrill-Cazier Library. He died on the morning of June 18, 1995 in his home in Trenton, Utah.

Mr. Simmonds contributed greatly to the understanding of Cache Valley history. Among his publications found in our library:

Edith Bowen is a name that is well known throughout Cache Valley. She was an influential early educator, and her name is well known today for her namesake, the Edith Bowen Laboratory School on USU campus.

Recently my interest was peeked when I learned that she was also a long serving board member for our library. While combing through the board minutes, I discovered a letter, dated October 2, 1939, tendering her resignation from the board. I was touched by her handwritten words of support for libraries!